Tag: funny

October 2nd – This has really, really surprised me. Mooching about the industrial estate where I work in Darlaston, I was looking for some paperwork that had blown up the road, and retrieving it from a hedge, spotted these beauties thriving beneath.

I see earth star fungus on Clayhanger Common in December, but wasn’t aware they grew this early. Looking like they’re clay or plastic, they are the most extraordinary fungi I’ve ever seen, and finding them is a real treat – there is a whole colony there, growing undisturbed in a roadside bed hardly anyone would ever notice.

Amusingly, Tumblr (the blog platform this journal runs on) has a system that automatically scans images posted, and detected these photos as being indecent. Sent for re-review, they were obviously passed as a false alert.

It just goes to show, some shapes recur throughout nature…

September 16th – I was being watched at Catshill Junction.

My observer was reluctant to make himself known.

The small, black and white cat, barely out of kitten hood, was studying me closely from over the narrows. I was clearly not to be trusted. Monitoring the neighbourhood is a very grave task.

I look forward to making his acquaintance again. 

September 9th – It’s been a while since I las saw eyebrow cat for long enough to take a photo, as it’s normally avoiding me for some reason. Captured taking the air on the grass beside the canal where the old tonnage house and toll point used to be at what is now the private development of Chandlers Keep.

Eyebrow cat didn’t mind me too much but did give me some very thorough stares. I don’t think this cat ever looks pleased with itself.

September 6th – I met this king (or maybe queen) of the whiskers in north Walsall on my way to work. Undertaking neighbourhood watch duties from a garden wall, the bright eyes and confident stance attracted me from over the road. Quite happy to test out my ear tickle prowess, I clearly scored a ‘that’ll just do, matey’ before I took the photo.

But oh gosh, what a fine set of whiskers those are!

Not seen this one before. A welcome addition to the local cat spotting rota, I feel.

August 31st – This week has been difficult as I’ve been in work very early and out very late, so stopping for photos has been a bit difficult, so I apologise for the limited range in the last couple of days.

On my way to work – thankfully still in daylight, despite the early hour – passing through Kings Hill I noted a lovely, lithe ginger puss, who meowed and wanted fuss. As I reached for the camera, this clearly very busy individual spotted something worth stalking the other side of a factory years fence, squeezed through and was off.

I hope we meet again – that’s a handsome tail for sure!

August 13th – I left near lunchtime for a hopefully long, sunny ride; but although the day was temperate, the sun soon disappeared and I found no energy in my tank. I contented myself with a slow bible up to Chasewater, back to Stonnall, Shentone, Little Hay, Hints, Tamworth and up the canal to Hpwas and Whittington, before returning via Lichfield and Wall.

On the way, I passed through the Lammas Land at Shenstone – a lovely bit or parkland by the Footherley Brook, and noted the bizarre ‘shining stone’ sculpture was still resident in the stream for all the world looking like robot excrement.

Shenstone Park is still as beautiful as ever, with it’s carefully tended verges and rolling farmland, and I also noted the surprisingly voluptuous scarecrow is still scaring the crows at Fazeley.

A decent ride, but I really wasn’t feeling like it. 

July 31st – A good commute for cats. Remember the two sleepyheads I found in The Butts last week? Well, today they were up and about and feeling sociable.

The calico is a lot more elderly that I thought, but is a lovely-natured thing for sure, as is the younger black and white lad with almost red patches in his coat.

Pleased with my attention, he rolled, rubbed and purred his way into my heart.

The other black and white puss was a canal cat in the gardens of Barrow Close on the edge of the canalside at Walsall Wood. He seemed to be someone who knew what he was doing.

Lovely animals that brightened an otherwise dull commute.

July 28th – A terrible, quickly snatched photo on my way home just before midnight, but I met this charming soul in the dark feasting on slugs and snails active in the rain. Attracted by an unusual noise, I was surprised to find two adult hedgehogs seemingly arguing over a particularly densely slug infested stretch of roadside verge.

The larger of the two legged it when it saw me, and once again I was reminded of just how fast these odd creatures can move, but this one hung around for a quick picture.

What a handsome set of spines it has! Great to see not one but two of these sadly rare pest control experts…

July 27th – After a good couple of weeks trying to catch them at the gate, the Jockey Meadows coos were finally not too busy to meet me this evening. 

They’ve been released here much later than usual this year, and the meadow is clearly full of tasty stuff as whilst I’ve seen the odd bovine rump above the scrub, they’ve not been loafing much hear the road at all, and have seemed very busy in their work: that of maintaining the meadow by eating the fast growing plants, churning the soil and improving it’s fertility.

I love cows and tonight, they seemed to be convening a union meeting. There are more of them this year, I counted 12 I think, whereas they normally number around 8. It was notable, however, that whilst I was interesting enough to stare at quizzically, I wasn’t interesting enough to expend any effort in walking over to investigate.

It’s good to see these lads back and I look forward to meting them again soon…